In absolute numbers I'm sure it's a lot, but percentage-wise, the people who buy an expensive next-gen console AND don't have regular internet access is likely to be quite a small fraction of the market. And I completely understand if those folks don't want to buy one. What gets me is that the vast (VAST) majority of outraged online haters are your average everyday folks who wouldn't have a single problem over the console's lifetime. I mean I get that it's "the principle of the thing," and I agree in theory that not required > required. I think it's time we realized, though, that internet is a utility. It's considered BY LAW to be a literal human right in several countries. No one throws a fit that their toaster won't run on batteries, and as far as I'm concerned, we need to accept that data --and intelligence-- is as necessary to modern society as power. Internet is no longer a fringe, luxury service; it's ok for physical stuff to require it.

...says me.

Yeah, that's a bit harsh, isn't it? When I posted I was thinking of the "taking games over to a friend's house" use case, where you can play on your account with no restrictions. I still feel like this policy will be updated and clarified to some extent, though. Who knows.